Sports Briefing

Published: July 27, 2004

PRO BASKETBALL

Okafor Signs With the Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats signed Emeka Okafor, whom they selected with the second pick in the June draft. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Under the National Basketball Association's collective bargaining agreement, Okafor, the former University of Connecticut star, can receive a guaranteed three-year contract worth about $12.1 million. (Bloomberg News)

KRSTIC TO JOIN NETS -- The former first-round draft pick Nenad Krstic, a power forward/center from Serbia and Montenegro, will join the Nets next season after reaching a buyout agreement with his European team, his agent announced yesterday.

Krstic, the 24th pick in the 2002 draft, is expected to sign his N.B.A. contract today, pending the transfer of his rights from Partizan Belgrade to the Nets and passing his physical.

Terms of the buyout were not immediately available.

The 7-foot Krstic is expected to start for the Serbia and Montenegro team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. (AP)

MAVERICKS REACQUIRE BOOTH -- Dallas traded power forward Danny Fortson to Seattle for Calvin Booth, reacquiring the 7-foot Booth, who the Mavericks once thought might help solve their problems at center. Dallas is focused on improving its defense, and Booth is an excellent shot blocker. The Sonics were the N.B.A.'s worst rebounding team last season, and Fortson has twice been among the league's best in that category. (AP)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Fulmer Decides to Stay Home

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer will not attend Southeastern Conference news media days this week after learning that lawyers in a suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association plan to subpoena him at the event in Alabama.

Lawyers representing a former Alabama assistant coach have accused Fulmer of conspiring with the N.C.A.A. in sanctioning the Crimson Tide program by speaking to an N.C.A.A. investigator four years ago. Alabama was placed on five years' probation in 2002 after the N.C.A.A. uncovered recruiting violations that included payments to players from boosters.

''I am not attending media days because of the legal circus that has been created by an isolated group of attorneys,'' Fulmer said in a statement. ''They want to hijack media days for their own benefit, but I am not going to allow that to happen.''

One of the lawyers notified S.E.C. Commissioner Mike Slive that Fulmer would be issued a subpoena if the coach did not agree to give a deposition, The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News reported yesterday on its Web site. (AP)

OLYMPICS

Softball Coach Will Carry On

Mike Candrea will coach the United States softball team next month in Athens, fulfilling the wishes of his wife, who died recently while traveling with the team. Sue Candrea died on July 18 of complications from a brain aneurysm while the team was in Stevens Point, Wis., on a pre-Olympic tour. She was 49.

The United States team, which will be seeking its third straight gold medal, will leave tomorrow for Athens. (AP)

YACHT RACING

Coutts Is Dropped by Alinghi

The victorious America's Cup helmsman Russell Coutts was dismissed yesterday by the Swiss team Alinghi for ''repeated violations of his duties.''

Coutts, a New Zealander, had refused to take his place on the team's SUI 64 yacht at the UBS Trophy regatta in Newport, R.I., after failing to sail with it in earlier regattas.

Coutts told Reuters last week that he and the Alinghi owner, Ernesto Bertarelli, were having ''differences of opinion'' over the running of the team. (Reuters)